


The Meteoric Rise of Brian Connelly

by sora_grey



Series: tiny fandom anthology [1]
Category: I'll Give You the Sun - Jandy Nelson, Original Work
Genre: Newspaper Article, Newspapers, Other, POV Outsider, Rare Fandoms, Why Did I Write This?, if anyone actually reads these i'll be hella surprised
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-01-01
Updated: 2018-04-13
Packaged: 2019-02-26 03:39:18
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 907
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13227327
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sora_grey/pseuds/sora_grey
Summary: In which I write some newspaper articles featuring Brian.





	1. The Forrester Daily

**Author's Note:**

> So I spent the holidays re-reading _IGYTS_ , and although Jude only read one article about Brian, I wondered what they said. I plan to write all three articles mentioned in the book.
> 
> Even though these articles will be written with _IGYTS_ in mind, this is technically an original work. All the names mentioned (with the exception of Brian Connelly) are products of the author's imagination.
> 
> Part one is crossposted separately[ here](http://colourmesora.tumblr.com/post/169178782568/scouts-descend-on-forrester-academy-eyeing-gay).

**Scouts Descend on Forrester Academy Eyeing Gay Pitcher "The Ax" for Third-Round Draft Picks**

by **Charlie MacLean** , staff reporter

It's all bright skies and sunshine on a cool April morning as the Tigers finish their warm-ups before they take part in a local scrimmage.

Unknown to the team, however, were some surprise guests in the audience as MLB scouts, some who came as far away as California, arrived on campus to watch high school junior Brian "The Ax" Connelly in action. Word has it that Connelly is being considered as a candidate pitcher for several of their teams as scouts get ready to make their third-round draft picks.

The Ax, a moniker given to Connelly by his teammates, is due to the speed and strength of his pitches, which consistently clock in at almost 90 miles per hour. Connelly spent his freshman year as a reserve pitcher for the Tigers' junior varsity team, before moving up to varsity the following year. He is currently the team's captain.

Connelly also made waves last year by boldly coming out during a pep rally, where he delivered a powerful speech about prejudice and the players who were forced off the field because of it in front of the student body. He made the decision because he was tired of people, mainly those from the baseball team, picking apart his personal life. "It's rough enough trying to figure out who you are, without everyone else putting in their two cents," Connelly says.

Will Connelly's sexual orientation affect his chances to play for the MLB? Brandon Jackson, the Tigers' coach, doesn't think so. "Why would it? Kid's an excellent pitcher. Him being gay doesn't change that," Jackson says. David Cortez, who is in charge of the minor-league team the Linden Reeve Kestrels, backs up that statement, asserting that "you'd never ask this question to a straight player."

Most of Connelly's teammates consider him being gay as a non-issue. "Just let the dude play some ball," says third baseman Nolan Hartigan.

We here at the Daily are looking forward to Connelly's bright future.

  


_Got a question? Want to leave a comment? Provide us with feedback at_ forresterdaily@connexmail.com

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy new year, everyone!
> 
> btw, Linden Reeve is the name of a fictional town I created. Their minor-league team, the [Kestrels](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kestrel), is also not real.


	2. the Westwood Weekly

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the long-ass wait, but better late than never, I guess.
> 
> Also, I'm working on writing the last article, but it'll take me a while. Not to worry, it'll be up here eventually.

**Connelly Dodges Draft and Opts for Free Ride to Stanford to Pitch for the Cardinal**

by _**Kristin Aizawa**_  
_kristin.aizawa@westwoodweekly.com_

Get ready, college baseball fans: The Cardinal will soon welcome a new arrival to their lineup.

In an unexpected turn of events, baseball phenom Brian "The Ax" Connelly declined several offers from MLB scouts to pitch for their teams, including a contract with the Linden Reeve Kestrels, a minor-league team located in the southwest. Instead, the 17-year-old will be enrolling at Stanford University this September, where he received a baseball scholarship. The California-bound freshman plans to major in astronomy and minor in communications. At press time, Connelly is currently completing his junior year of high school at Forrester Academy and is also the captain of their varsity baseball team, the Tigers.

Connelly doesn't regret refusing those MLB offers, asserting that the scholarship Stanford awarded to him was too great an opportunity to pass up. "Don't get me wrong, I love baseball," says Connelly, making his intentions clear. "but I don't want to be known as just an athlete." However, he doesn't rule out the possibility of turning professional after he graduates from college.

His mother Susan wept tears of joy upon hearing her son’s plans for his future. "Whatever Brian decides to do with his life, I will support him 100%," she says, clearly proud of her kid. She also admits to being a bit bemused by his baseball skills, as neither she, nor Connelly's father Stephen, showed any prowess in athletics. Unfortunately, Stephen Connelly couldn't be reached for comment.

Nolan Hartigan, the Tigers' third baseman, is not surprised by Connelly's decision to attend college and mentions that his dedication to baseball also carries over to his passion for astronomy. "In Brian’s downtime, he's always reading up on space stuff online, or else looking for meteors at [the crack of dawn]," Hartigan says. When asked how Connelly acquired his famous moniker, Hartigan explains with a little laugh that it was actually given to Connelly by their mutual friend KD [Metsger, also the Tigers' catcher] when they were eight years old.

Metsger elaborates further, recounting the days when he, Hartigan, and Connelly spent their formative years playing for the same Little League team. He had given the name partly because trying to catch one of Connelly's lightning-fast pitches was like having an ax thrown onto his glove. "So I called Brian 'The Ax' one day as a joke. Next thing I know, the rest of the guys started to catch on," Metsger recalls fondly. To his amusement and Connelly's embarrassment, this "joke" name would continue to follow Connelly throughout his whole life.

Off the diamond, Metsger describes Connelly as outgoing and friendly, but cautions opponents that he's no pushover. "Come game time, he's relentless about wanting to take the other team down. He'll strike out opponent after opponent with those pitches, especially with the fastballs," Metsger says, grinning mischievously.

Adds Hartigan: "The moment Brian steps onto that pitchers' mound, he lets nothing distract him. On game day, he is concentrated and focused on the task at hand. He just wants to win like everyone else."

Be sure to keep an eye out for Connelly next spring, when the baseball season will officially begin.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Headcanon time: Noah totally printed out these articles and like the dork he is, he put them in a scrapbook he made for Brian.
> 
> Also, I wanted to end Nolan's first sentence with "...ass o'clock in the morning", but felt that it wasn't an appropriate line for a newspaper article, so it got replaced with the bracketed substitution. Sorry if that sounds confusing.


End file.
